(Meg) A summer of horror: torture and electric chairs at amusement parks and Hitler at Madame Tussauds

For Monday 29

A summer of horror: torture and electric chairs at amusement parks and Hitler at Madame Tussauds

(article from www.theartnewspaper.com)

I thought that this was a good article. It sort of goes with the article How far is too far. I feel like contemporary art walks a thin line of legal and illegal; Offensive and brilliant. Contemporary art is hard for me to get. But i guess that's the point. I guess sometimes you don't have to understand it.

"NEW YORK. The US government interrogation practice of waterboarding will be enacted by animated robots in an installation by artist Steve Powers opening on 21 September at the Park Avenue Armory. For $1 viewers can watch as a life-sized hooded figure pours water over the mouth and nose of a bound man, producing a grisly 15 seconds of convulsions. The installation was shown at New York’s seaside amusement park Coney Island in August, where it was situated among rides, games and freak show attractions."

This is really messed up! And of all places to have this torture technique...an amusement park. And then the article also gives examples of other art pieces throughout the world that got some pretty negative attention.
BERLIN: HITLER AT MADAME TUSSAUDS, MILAN: ELECTRIC CHAIR AT AMUSEMENT PARK, SYDNEY: BLEEDING CHRIST UP FOR RELIGIOUS AWARD....and more..

(sarah) This shit?

I think this is more like a slide show, but every picture has really informative text to go with it. Sigh. $125 million for dead animals? Come on. I call this "The Emperor has no Art". Kind of like "The emperor has no clothes." His work really sucks but hes such a big name nobody wants to stand up and say it. I can't be the only one thinking,"$125 million for this shit?"

(Meg) Article : Earth Works

For Monday 22

I thought this would be a good article since everyone is "going green".  It's pretty interesting. It is from the artnews.com website. It's about how artists are making art that influences us and our environment.  Like for example someone made pee fertilizer art. It's totally gross but interesting. eww.

Link = Earth Works June 2008

(Meg) Article: How Far Is Too Far?

I'm a little behind on my articles. This one is for Monday 8th.

ARTnews.com  Summer 2008 How Far is Too Far?

http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2522

I think that this is a good article to read if you have mix feelings about contemporary art like I do.  It's about the classic debate of what should be accepted and unacceptable. Different people's views on art. It's very interesting. Here's a little passage. 

"But when are the artists themselves guilty of the exploitation their art is meant to expose? And, taking into account not only First Amendment rights but an artist's traditional role of challenging the status quo, is there a point beyond which art can go too far? Are there guidelines that should be observed or enforced, or are ethics, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder?"

article

link

this article is really great, this guy is unstoppable definitely an "artist" as well as an 'architect' I saw an exhibit of his at the pompidou in paris.

Sarah--wiki art

This article is a little open. I just thought it was interesting what wikipedia had to say about "art".

Article.

Michelle- Weekly Article for September 8

No. 83, Berlin, July 1990 from Pictures on the Street

Celebrating Photographic Garbage

photo-based art by Joachim Schmid

From Lens Culture Online Magazine

Comments:

I like the technique because it relates to preserving memories and the past.... even though the artist is collecting photographs he finds on the street.  

(will add more later)